--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Responsibility is a unique concept. It…" description: "\"Responsibility is a unique concept. It can only reside and inhere in a single individual. You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00d/hyman-rickover-18778_concepts_responsibility-is-a-unique-concept-it-ca_2330947.jpg" --- # Responsibility is a unique concept. It can only reside and… ![“Responsibility is a unique concept. It can only reside and inhere in a single individual. You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. You may delegate it, but it is still with you. You may disclaim it, but you cannot divest yourself of it. If responsibility is rightfully…” quote by Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00d/hyman-rickover-18778_concepts_responsibility-is-a-unique-concept-it-ca_2330947.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00d/hyman-rickover-18778_concepts_responsibility-is-a-unique-concept-it-ca_2330947.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00d/hyman-rickover-18778_concepts_responsibility-is-a-unique-concept-it-ca_2330947.jpg) > “Responsibility is a unique concept. It can only reside and inhere in a single individual. You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. You may delegate it, but it is still with you. You may disclaim it, but you cannot divest yourself of it. If responsibility is rightfully yours, no evasion, or ignorance or passing the blame can shift the burden to someone else. Unless you can point your finger at the man who is responsible when something goes wrong, then you have never had anyone really responsible.” [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Responsibility belongs to an individual and cannot be transferred or avoided; sharing does not reduce personal accountability. **In simple terms:** Responsibility stays with you despite sharing or delegating. Key Takeaway Own your duties fully. Themes accountability leadership ethics Mood serious reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - management decisions - team projects - crisis response - personal conduct Key Concepts personal responsibility ownership delegation Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure you remain accountable in a team? - What limits does delegation have on personal responsibility? A Different Perspective Even when tasks are shared, ultimate blame often still falls on the individual. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Delegates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delegates/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) ## Related quotes > [Responsibility is a unique concept... You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. You may delegate it, but it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/responsibility-is-a-unique-concept-you-may-share-it-with-others-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Responsibility is a unique concept. You can share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. You may delegate it, but it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/responsibility-is-a-unique-concept-you-can-share-it-with-others-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [By the age of forty, a man is responsible for his face. And his fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/by-the-age-of-forty-a-man-is-responsible-for-his-face-and-his-fate/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Marriages may be made in heaven, but man is responsible for the maintenance work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/marriages-may-be-made-in-heaven-but-man-is-responsible-for-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Of all the evils for which man has made himself responsible, none is so degrading, so shocking, or so brutal as his abuse of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/of-all-the-evils-for-which-man-has-made-himself-responsible-none-is/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“He’d been kidnapped, betrayed, almost fed to a Diamondscale —yes, a Diamondscale— and now, just to top things off, he was on the run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ford-elward/he-d-been-kidnapped-betrayed-almost-fed-to-a-diamondscale-yes-a/) [Ruth Ford Elward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ford-elward/) > [“To permit irresponsible authority is to sow disaster; to hold a man responsible for anything he does not control is to behave with blind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/to-permit-irresponsible-authority-is-to-sow-disaster-to-hold-a-man/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Man is responsible not only for every deed, but also for every idle word and thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/man-is-responsible-not-only-for-every-deed-but-also-for-every-idle/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) > [Every man is responsible only for his own acts. The sons do not inherit the sins of the fathers. But can we say: that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksander-kwasniewski/every-man-is-responsible-only-for-his-own-acts-the-sons-do-not/) [Aleksander Kwasniewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksander-kwasniewski/) > [“he told me that a man must be responsible for any seed he sows, for it’s his duty to take care of a woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/he-told-me-that-a-man-must-be-responsible-for-any-seed-he-sows-for-it/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [ He \[Brian Fraser\] told me that a man must be responsible for any see he sows, for it's his duty to take care of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/he-brian-fraser-told-me-that-a-man-must-be-responsible-for-any-see-he/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“every man is responsible for his own actions and the consequences or rewards they may bring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-dalzelle/every-man-is-responsible-for-his-own-actions-and-the-consequences-or/) [Joshua Dalzelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-dalzelle/) > [Clearly I miss Him, having been brought up in religion. But now a man must be responsible to himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/clearly-i-miss-him-having-been-brought-up-in-religion-but-now-a-man/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [No man is responsible for his father. That was entirely his mother's affair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-turnbull/no-man-is-responsible-for-his-father-that-was-entirely-his-mother-s/) Margaret Turnbull > [The man who refuses to judge, who neither agrees nor disagrees, who declares that there are no absolutes and believes that he escapes responsibility,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-man-who-refuses-to-judge-who-neither-agrees-nor-disagrees-who/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) ## More by Hyman Rickover > [Good ideas and innovations must be driven into existence by courage and patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/good-ideas-and-innovations-must-be-driven-into-existence-by-courage/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) > [Free discussion requires an atmosphere unembarrassed by any suggestion of authority or even respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/free-discussion-requires-an-atmosphere-unembarrassed-by-any/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) > [Human experience shows that people, not organizations or management systems, get things done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/human-experience-shows-that-people-not-organizations-or-management/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) > [All men are by nature conservative but conservatism in the military profession is a source of danger to the country. One must be ready…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/all-men-are-by-nature-conservative-but-conservatism-in-the-military/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) > [I have a son. I love my son. I want everything that I do to be so safe that I would be happy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/i-have-a-son-i-love-my-son-i-want-everything-that-i-do-to-be-so-safe/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) > [To doubt one's own first principles is the mark of a civilized man. Don't defend past actions; what is right today may be wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/to-doubt-one-s-own-first-principles-is-the-mark-of-a-civilized-man/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) > [A child is being properly educated only when he is learning to become independent of his parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/a-child-is-being-properly-educated-only-when-he-is-learning-to-become/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) > [A system under which it takes three men to check what one is doing is not control; it is systematic strangulation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/a-system-under-which-it-takes-three-men-to-check-what-one-is-doing-is/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) > [I do not have regrets. I believe I helped preserve the peace for this country. Why should I regret that? What I accomplished was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/i-do-not-have-regrets-i-believe-i-helped-preserve-the-peace-for-this/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) > [Good ideas are not adopted automatically. They must be driven into practice with courageous impatience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/good-ideas-are-not-adopted-automatically-they-must-be-driven-into/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) > [As a guide to engineering ethics, I should like to commend to you a liberal adaptation of the injunction contained in the oath of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/as-a-guide-to-engineering-ethics-i-should-like-to-commend-to-you-a/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) > [All new ideas begin in a non-conforming mind that questions some tenet of the conventional wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/all-new-ideas-begin-in-a-non-conforming-mind-that-questions-some/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) > [Good ideas are not adopted automatically. They must be driven into practice with courageous impatience. Once implemented they can be easily overturned or subverted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/good-ideas-are-not-adopted-automatically-they-must-be-driven-into-2/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) > [Knowing more about the public effects his work will have, the engineer ought to consider himself an "officer of the court" and keep the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/knowing-more-about-the-public-effects-his-work-will-have-the-engineer/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) > [We bury the men who do the nation's creative work under layers of administrators and mountains of memoranda. We shrivel creativity by endless frustrations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/we-bury-the-men-who-do-the-nation-s-creative-work-under-layers-of/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) [Explore all 34 Hyman Rickover quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) ## More Concepts quotes > [Capability is just a concept of what is it we're looking at. Now how far we can go along that and what new capabilities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/capability-is-just-a-concept-of-what-is-it-we-re-looking-at-now-how/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [Our concept of a family holiday was going to a guest house in the Lake district or Wales where walking was part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/our-concept-of-a-family-holiday-was-going-to-a-guest-house-in-the/) [Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/) > [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/) [Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. Actors get stage fright, but they wouldn't be on the stage in the first place if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-whole-concept-of-stage-fright-is-fascinating-actors-get-stage/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [I do like talking with friends about big concepts, you know, the stuff that will ruin a party. To me, the party hasn't begun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-do-like-talking-with-friends-about-big-concepts-you-know-the-stuff/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [You imagine that I look back on my life's work with calm satisfaction. But from nearby it looks quite different. There is not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/you-imagine-that-i-look-back-on-my-life-s-work-with-calm-satisfaction/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [For a physicist mathematics is not just a tool by means of which phenomena can be calculated, it is the main source of concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/for-a-physicist-mathematics-is-not-just-a-tool-by-means-of-which/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [One of the most powerful concepts, one which is a sure cure for lack of confidence, is the thought that God is with you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/one-of-the-most-powerful-concepts-one-which-is-a-sure-cure-for-lack/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [All significant concepts of the modern theory of the state are secularized theological concepts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/all-significant-concepts-of-the-modern-theory-of-the-state-are/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) Christy Nockels > [ I don't think in national categories. For me it \[policy\] is about concepts and substance. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-claude-juncker/i-don-t-think-in-national-categories-for-me-it-policy-is-about/) [Jean-Claude Juncker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-claude-juncker/) > [In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. The whole concept of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/in-the-very-beginning-yelp-started-as-a-service-where-we-really-didn/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [To pray without expectation is to misunderstand the whole concept of prayer and relationship with God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/to-pray-without-expectation-is-to-misunderstand-the-whole-concept-of/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) Browse all 2,468 Concepts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Responsibility is a unique concept. It can only reside and inhere in a single individual. You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. You may delegate it, but it is still with you. You may disclaim it, but you cannot divest yourself of it. If responsibility is rightfully yours, no evasion, or ignorance or passing the blame can shift the burden to someone else. Unless you can point your finger at the man who is responsible when something goes wrong, then you have never had anyone really responsible.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hyman Rickover" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/responsibility-is-a-unique-concept-it-can-only-reside-and-inhere-in-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Concepts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/responsibility-is-a-unique-concept-it-can-only-reside-and-inhere-in-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00d/hyman-rickover-18778_concepts_responsibility-is-a-unique-concept-it-ca_2330947.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00d/hyman-rickover-18778_concepts_responsibility-is-a-unique-concept-it-ca_2330947.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00d/hyman-rickover-18778_concepts_responsibility-is-a-unique-concept-it-ca_2330947.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Responsibility is a unique concept. It can only reside and inhere in a single individual. You may share it…” — Hyman Rickover", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Hyman Rickover", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Responsibility is a unique concept. It...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/responsibility-is-a-unique-concept-it-can-only-reside-and-inhere-in-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/responsibility-is-a-unique-concept-it-can-only-reside-and-inhere-in-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```